Hearing Loss by Occupation: Careers Which Have the Highest Risks

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Do you find yourself worried about hearing loss from excessive noise levels at work? Excessive noise levels are among the most common causes of hearing loss. Some occupations are simply louder than others, and employees in those fields should be appropriately worried about their hearing. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 30 million employees are exposed to dangerous noise at work and an additional 9 million are at risk for hearing loss for other reasons such as solvents and metals. Employees in high-noise professions must arm themselves with the specifics of work-related hearing safety and maintain an open conversation with their employers.

Below is a partial list of jobs where hearing loss is a significant concern.

Miners – According to the Center for Disease Control, 49% of male miners are predicted to have a hearing impairment by age 50 – compared with 9% of the general public – rising to 70% by 60 years of age.

DJs and Nightclub Staff – Everyone that works at a night club – security, wait staff, bartenders – is at risk, not just the DJs. In a managed study, sound levels of up to 108 decibels were recorded in popular nightclubs. The average sound level for a standard nightclub outing was 96 decibels which is over the level at which the provision of ear protection is required for employers in industry. The research came to the conclusion that Disc Jockeys are at substantial risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss and noise exposure in nightclubs regularly exceeds safe levels.

Construction Workers – Construction workers rank second highest for permanent hearing losses suffered in the workplace. Construction equipment routinely exposes staff to machinery which produces upwards of 90 decibels. A study of construction workers in WA State revealed that construction workers were surrounded by noise measuring 85 decibels or greater in about 70% of their workshifts, yet wore their hearing protection less than 20 percent of the time.

Orchestra – Research on the noise exposures of classical musicians encountered across both performances and rehearsals found that the strings and percussion sections averaged 90 decibels while the brass section averaged 95 decibels. Peak volumes were 130 decibels in the percussion and brass sections. A different Swedish study demonstrated that 59 out of 139 orchestra musicians – 42 percent – had hearing losses higher than that predicted for their ages.

Airport Staff – The sound of an airplane engine is one of the loudest occupational hazards, with sound levels at a shocking 140 decibels.

Firefighters and Paramedics – All those sirens whirring accumulate over time. Numerous studies have explored the incidence of hearing disabilities in firefighters and ambulance drivers with most finding that firefighters experienced increased hearing damage when compared with the general public of the same age.

Armed Forces – The primary disability among US military personnel is noise-induced hearing loss. Up to 65% of troops returning from combat in Afghanistan suffer from noise-induced hearing loss according to the Deafness Research Foundation.

Plumbers – The CDC webpage for Work-Related Hearing Loss states that 48 percent of plumbers noted that they had a perceived hearing loss.

Carpenters – The Center for Disease Control web page on Work-Related Hearing Loss states that 44 percent of carpenters reported that they had a perceived hearing loss.

Manufacturing – The largest number of permanent hearing loss disabilities sustained in the workplace come from manufacturing. Manufacturing positions regularly expose workers to equipment and machinery which generates over 90 decibels of noise for extended period of time.

Motorcycle Courier – A study of motorcycle noise, both with an without helmets, under a variety of road conditions at speeds between 45 mph to 65 documented that the sound level measured ranged from 70 decibels to 128 decibels.